Draft-compensating device.



- PATENTBD APR. 2, 1907. M. 1.-.PARKHURST. r

DRAFT GOMPENSATING DEVICE.' APPLIoATIorf 4FILED Nov.11. 1905.

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ailment MILTON IVES PARKHURST, OF FANCY PRAIRIE, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-COMPENSATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application led November 11, 1905. Serial No. 286,902.

To MZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON IvEs PARK- HURsT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Fancy Prairie, in the county of Menard and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements inDraft-Oompensating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in draft-compensating devicesfor use in connection with binders, harvesters, or the like.

The main object of the present invention is the production of means forequalizing the draft and supporting the weight of the frame; and to thisend the invention consists in certain details of construction andcombinations of parts, which will be described in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the application of myimproved compensating device to the binder. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sideelevation, partly in section, illustrating means for coupling the tongueto the binder and the adjustability of said tongue with relation to theframe. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the tongue-coupling. Fig.4 is a longitudinal section of the tongue drawhead, the latter beingshown in place therein. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, partly inelevation, of one of the spring compensating members. Fig. 6 is a viewin elevation, partly in section, of the truck-support for the frame.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference-numerals indicate likeparts throughout the several views, 1 represents the binder, which sofar as the purposes of the present invention are concerned may be madeof any desired construction.

2 represents what I term a "tongue-coupling, comprising a box-likemember having laterally-projecting plates 3, designed to be bolted orotherwise secured to the side bar 4 of the binder-frame. The coupling isset, preferably, vertical relative to the normal position of the frameand is preferably open at top to permit the ready introduction of thetongue. The side walls of the coupling are formed with a series ofalined openings 5, designed to receive a coupling-pin 6, adapted forpassage through an opening in the tongue, as hereinafter explained,whereby said tongue is secured to the coupling.

The tongue 7, which may be of any length desired or necessary, isdesigned to be inserted laterally within the coupling 2 and to besecured therein by the pin 6 passing through the alined holes of thecoupling and through an opening 9, formed in the tongue, therebysupporting the tongue at the height desired. The rear end of the tongueis provided with an arm 10, removably secured by a bolt 11 and formedwith an arrow-head end. This arm is arranged for cooperation with aguide- 14 represents what I term the draw-v head, being a rectangularbox-like structure open at the ends and designed-to slidably embrace thetongue 7. The draw-head is connected with the tongue and limited in itsmovement thereon through the medium of a pin 15 passing through theupper and lower walls of said draw-head and engaging alongitudinally-arranged slot 16, formed in the tongue. From the rear endof the drawhead arms 17 and 1S are projected in opposite direction,preferably inclining toward the rear of the tongue. These arms are exactduplicates in length and inclination and are each formed with a seriesof holes 19, extending longitudinally of the arms. An arm 20 projectslaterally from the forward end of the coupling 2 and is formed frwith aseries of openings 21, spaced longitudinally thereof.

The compensating devices proper comprise duplicate casings, eachincluding cylindrical members 22 23, arranged for threaded connectionend to end, as at 24, the adjacent ends of the members being open, Whiletheir remote ends are closed or headed. This construction provides acylindrical casing having closed ends, in which is mounted springs 2526. Each of the springs encircle rods 27 28, respectively, which attheir inner or adjacent ends are provided with heads 29, against whichthe inner ends of the springs bear, the outer or remote ends of thesprings bearing against the respective heads of the casing. The outer orremote ends of the rods 27 28 project, respectively, through the IOO IIO

opposite headsof the casing and are terminally provided with hooks 3031.

In my invention I utilize one of the compensating devices described oneach side of the tongue, the forward end of the device on the side ofthe tongue next the binder-frame being removably connected in one of theopenings 19 in the arm 17 through the junction of the hook 31 therewith,while the rear end of said device is connected, through the medium ofthe hook 30, to an eyebolt 32, secured to the forward frame-bar of thebinder. The opposite compensating device is similarly connected, throughthe medium of its hooks 30 and 31, to the arms 20 and 18, projecting,respectively, from the coupling 2 and draw-head 14. By virtue of theopenings 19, formed in the arms 17 and 18, the forward ends of thecompensating devices may be adjusted relative to the draw-head, thusincreasing or decreasing the tension of the springs 25 26 within thecasings in an obvious manner. By preference the spring 25 on the sameside of the tongue as the evener is of materially greater strength thanthe spring on the opposite side, as it is at once obvious that thecompensating strain of said former spring is necessarily greater thanthat of the latter spring.

The four-horse evener 33 is secured to the draw-head 14 preferablythrough the medium of a pin 15, and to the free ends of the evener aresecured the usual two-horse eveners 34. L

In connection with the equalizer described I arrange a truck forsupporting the frame of the binder when the same is not under draft,said truck comprising a casting 35, lsecured to the forward frame-bar ofthe binder and formed with a vertically-arranged opening 36, in which isrevolubly and slidably mounted a stem 7, carrying at its lower end ayoke 38, in which is mounted a ground-wheel 39. Adjacent the yoke thestem 37 is provided with a collar 40, between which and the lower end ofthe casting is secured a coilspring 41. This truck is primarily designedfor supporting the front of the binder when the team is standing orturning and at no other time, as the springs will support all the weightwhen in motion. The spring on the truck will prevent the contact of thetruckwheel from elevating the machine by contacting with an elevation onthe ground while the machine is in motion, as said spring will permit ayielding of the wheel without affecting the frame of the binder.

In operation the compensating devices are to4 be` adjusted by changingthe connection of the hooks 81 with the arms 17 and 18 until the tongueis free of binding contact with the draw-head, it being obvious that ifsuch compensating devices are of equal tension the forward draft of theteams will cause a lateral binding of the draw-heads upon the tongue.The hooks 31 may be engaged with one or the other of the holes 19 in thearms 18, so that the draw-head will move without lateral binding on thetongue. The tongue isunow adjusted longitudinally to give it suchelevation as will compensate for the pull of the springs and insure thatthe weight of the binder is carried by the draft of the team.

From the construction described it will be seen that the compensatingsprings compensate for the draft of the binder and that the longitudinaladjustment of the tongue practically supports the weight of the machineby the draft of the team.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. Thecombination with a binder or the like, of a tongue movably securedthereto, a draw-head movably mounted on the tongue and supporting thedraft-eveners, and compensating devices on opposite sides of said tongueand connected to the draw-head and to the binder, said compensatingdevices being respectively of normally unequal strengths.

2. The combination with a binder, of a coupling secured thereto, atongue adjustably supported in the coupling, a draw-head slidablyengaging the tongue and supporting the draft-eveners, and compensatingdevices connected to the binder and to the drawhead, said compensatingdevices being respectively of normally unequal strengths.

3. The combination with a binder, of a coupling secured thereto, atongue adjustably supported in the coupling, a draw-head slidablyengaging the tongue and supporting the draft-eveners, and compensatingdevices connected to the binder and to the drawhead, each of saiddevices comprising a casing, and independent springs mounted within thecasing.

4. The combination with a binder, of a coupling secured thereto andinclined with relation to the binder, a tongue having an inclinedportion slidably supported in said coupling, means for adjustablysecuring the tongue with relation to the coupling, a drawhead slidablyengaging the tongue, means for limiting the movement of the draw-headwith relation to the tongue, arms projecting laterally and in oppositedirections from the draw-head, and compensating devices adjustablyconnected with said arms at their forward ends, the rear end of one ofsaid devices being connected with the binder, and an arm projectinglaterally from the coupling toy receive the rear end of the othercompensating device.

5. The combination with a binder, of a coupling secured thereto, atongue adjustably supported in the coupling, a draw-head slidablyengaging the tongue and supporting the draft-eveners, and compensatingdevices connected to the binder and to the draw- IOO `IIC) head, and atruck connected to the binder and adapted to support the same in theabsence of draft on the tongue.

6. The combination with a binder, of a coupling secured theretoj atongue supported in the coupling, draft-evener-suppor'ting means carriedby the tongue, a compensating device connected to said means and to thebinder7 and a second compensating device connected to said means and tothe coupling, the latter compensating device being of relatively lessnormal strength than the first-mentioned compensating device.

7. The combination With a binder, of a coupling secured thereto, atongue adjustably supported in the coupling and projecting rearwardlytherebeyond, draft-evenersupporting. means carried by the tongue, aguide carried by the binder and formed with a curved guideWay ofapproximately triangular shape in transverse section, and an arm carriedby the rear end of the tongue and formed With a projection for movablereception Within said guideWay.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

MILTON IVES PARKHURST. Witnesses:

i CrLAs. H. DERRY,

J. E. JACKSON.

